Minnehaha County Deputy Dies of Wounds Three Days After Sioux Falls Shootout; County Mourns as Investigation Opens
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Minnehaha County sheriff's deputy Katherine Ann Frank, 26, has died of wounds she suffered in a shootout on the night of Oct. 9, the sheriff's office confirmed on Oct. 12. She had been hospitalized in critical condition for three days.
According to the sheriff's office, Frank was responding to a domestic disturbance call at a residence in the 2900 block of South Keyrell Drive in southwest Sioux Falls when she exchanged gunfire with a suspect and was shot; officers returned fire and the suspect was taken into custody. The suspect, Brandon Oetken, 39, had been jailed on charges including three counts of first-degree attempted murder, and prosecutors say they are evaluating whether to adjust the charges. Frank is the first Minnehaha County deputy killed by gunfire in the line of duty in more than a century. A public memorial gathering was held outside the county law enforcement center on the evening of Oct. 12.
Frank worked as a correctional officer at the state penitentiary from 2022 to 2024 before joining the sheriff's office in June 2024. She came from a law-enforcement family; her father served as a deputy in the office's criminal investigations division. Sheriff Mike Milstead called her a cornerstone of the office and said the community has lost a dedicated guardian.
As is standard, the state Division of Criminal Investigation is leading an independent investigation expected to take about 30 days, with findings to be released by Attorney General Marty Jackley. Funeral arrangements are pending, and the county deputies' association has set up a fund for her family.
Source: Argus Leader, Oct. 12, 2026
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 明尼哈哈县旧法院大楼（苏瀑），CC BY-SA 2.0，摄影：w_lemay（Wikimedia Commons）
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